Difficulties are often encountered when a disabled person without full use of at least one leg/foot and two hands wishes to drive an automobile. Typically, a foot or two feet will control brake and gas, a first hand continually remains on the steering wheel, and a second hand is available to control other important functions which are necessary during the driving process (e.g., turn signals, dimmers, wipers, etc.). Although many important vehicle functions have been relocated to a vehicle steering wheel for easy access by non-disabled drivers, this does not serve the needs of disabled motorists who require an ergonomic prosthetic steering interface integrated with vehicular controls.
There have been some inventive efforts directed at alleviating the problems associated with controlling vehicle functions in conjunction with a prosthetic steering device. For example, Access Unlimited in the United States manufactures and distributes a product which provides an array of switches located inboard of the axis of a prosthetic steering device on a panel which is fixed to a steering wheel. DSI Corporation in the United States also distributes a similar product. Another European manufacturer has a steering device with switches located at the top of a steering knob, primarily for operation by a thumb.
The aforementioned devices allow a disabled person to control vehicular functions while controlling a vehicle steering wheel. However, the aforementioned devices, as well as other known devices, have drawbacks in the area of ergonomics which limit the potential safety and ease-of-use for a disabled driver. For example, for some drivers, the location of buttons on a panel that is affixed directly to and moves with a vehicle steering wheel can be a disadvantage, as the natural result of this configuration is that important controls continually change position with respect to a controlling hand as the steering wheel rotates throughout its 360 degree rotation. This is particularly the case for clients with cognitive impairments.
Although at least one device is currently available which includes switches on top of a prosthetic steering device, this is often ergonomically difficult to operate, due to the awkward resulting angle of a driver's wrist and the inappropriateness for operation by any digit other than a driver's thumb. Others who are easily able to access a fixed switch panel that rotates with a vehicle steering wheel may experience difficulties accessing an array of switches which is located substantially inboard towards the center of the steering wheel compared to the axis of a spinner knob, as is the case with most commonly available devices in the field.
In view of the foregoing, it would be desirable to provide a switching device for controlling vehicular functions which is functionally integrated with a prosthetic steering device and which overcomes the above-described inadequacies and shortcomings.